Goodwill and Kaiser Partner to Hold E-Waste and Collection Event

The local ewaste collection drive is part of a larger campaign for Earth Day.

Goodwill SOLAC (Serving the People of Southern Los Angeles County) has partnered with Kaiser Permanente South Bay Medical Center to host an e-waste collection drive on Wednesday, April 18 from 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

“Most electronic items contain toxic substances like mercury and lead and it is illegal to throw those items away in the trash,” said Janet McCarthy, president & CEO of Goodwill. “Your old monitor or television will be recycled by Goodwill, with proceeds going directly to our education, skills training and employment placement programs.”

The local event is part of a larger collaboration between Kaiser Permanente and Goodwill being held in conjunction with Earth Day. E-waste collections will also be occurring at Kaiser Permanente facilities from Bakersfield to San Diego, April 13-27.

“Since 2007 we have been able to prevent thousands of pounds of harmful electronic waste from going into local landfills,” said Scott Wendling, regional executive of support services, Kaiser Permanente Southern California Region. “Through our partnership with Goodwill Industries we are able to be environmental stewards that are creating healthy communities.”

Goodwill SOLAC provides training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs for individuals with barriers to employment and other disabilities. In 2011, Goodwill SOLAC served more than 6,400 people, trained more than 1,880 and placed 230 individuals into employment.